I found someone else asking this question but didn't find any answers on the Resolve section of the forum so I thought I'd open it up here:

I'm shooting BRAW on the UMP -- my question is what the input GAMMA and COLOR should be when using RCM, Color Space Transform, or ACES.

I must be missing something, but it seems like in all of these transform methods, there is Blackmagic Design 4.6K Film V3, but shouldn't there but a V4 since it's color science 4? I'm not confident that transform using V3 is correct.

1. Are you on the latest 15.2.2 version of Resolve? Earlier versions didn't support RCM + ACES for v4 color.

2. When working with raw clips in Resolve using RCM or ACES, you shouldn't have to set the input color space at all as it will read the source color space+gamma from the raw file metadata. Hence, the color space and gamma options in the raw tab will be greyed out and can't be adjusted. For using just a CST OFX node, I'm not certain that they've yet added all the relevant options for v4 color on the 4.6K sensor.

Thanks Jamie, this is helpful. I was running 15.2, I'll update. One obnoxiously basic follow up (which I've had a hard time tracking down a concrete answer to):

What are the best and/or simplest ways for me to take Ursa Pro log footage and transform correctly to rec709?

ACES, RCM, OFX CST, lut, any other approaches?

I ask because I've played with all and have run into various concerns with each. I'm a total noob at ACES and while I was impressed by the way it dealt with dynamic range and saturation, I fear it has too many things different from normal YRGB for my normal use (i.e. inability to use LUTs easily, struggles with using keying, etc.)

RCM's luminance mapping has been hit or miss on giving me a nice image.

I'm totally into all the Juan Melara CST stuff but honestly per the above conversation, I fear it's a little more complex that I really need -- also I've read on BMCuser various concerns around using the camera's native ISO & 6k color temperature in order to have a proper transform.

All this is to say, if I'm not worried about matching cameras, and just want to take my log footage, get it correctly to rec709 and grade from there, how would you suggest I approach that? Thank you much in advance!

samroden wrote:All this is to say, if I'm not worried about matching cameras, and just want to take my log footage, get it correctly to rec709 and grade from there, how would you suggest I approach that? Thank you much in advance!

Unless you need to deliver both SDR and HDR deliverables, ACES and RCM aren't necessary. Since they aren't designed for using REC709 LUTs, they are going to be more trouble than they are worth if those LUTs are often used in your grades.

For normal REC709 deliverables, if you're recording BRAW, the easiest thing to do is set it to "extended video" in camera (but do make sure you're recording BRAW, not ProRes) and that will be recorded as metadata and also be the image you see when monitoring (so make sure to have any LUTs applied to your LCD, viewfinder, and SDI out turned off).

Then, in Resolve just work in standard DaVinci YRGB and the camera metadata will be applied with the clips automatically set to "extended video" by default so they'll look exactly as you saw them on set. Then, in the raw tab you can make fine adjustments to temp, tint, exposure and, if needed, tweak the shadow or highlight rolloff, etc. It's a really fast way to work, it makes on set monitoring dead simple, and it will allow you the flexibility to add things like standard REC709 "look" LUTs or FilmConvert OFX to your grades if you wish.

From a workflow perspective, the beautiful thing about recording BRAW set to "extended video" is that if you have to hand your BRAW files off to another producer, editor or a colorist, the image that you saw on your monitor is exactly what they'll see through the whole workflow in Resolve or in any other app that supports BRAW (like EditReady, for example). And, if you want to adjust the exposure, saturation, etc. just kick out sidecar files for each clip and those will be how the clip is read.

If you decide you instead want to apply LUTs designed for BMD Film v4 (like Kholi's excellent Comet Color set for v4), just change the setting in the raw tab to film mode and you can apply those LUTs.

That's a really interesting idea. So you're saying that because you're recording BRAW, even though it's displaying extended video on the Resolve timeline, all the information is there and manipulatable? Thanks, I'll definitely do some experimenting.

Side note: I'm an idiot for not having 15.2.2, that extra .2 solved my original basic problem as it introduced the v4 options...

samroden wrote:That's a really interesting idea. So you're saying that because you're recording BRAW, even though it's displaying extended video on the Resolve timeline, all the information is there and manipulatable?

Yes, all data is there. With BRAW the metadata is stored as a sidecar file that tells Resolve exactly how it was shot on the day, but you can override all of that as shown in screenshot.

The whole point of Braw is the quality and flexibility of RAW with the convenience, playback, and small file size of wrapped formats like ProRes (if you are using Resolve that is). I have shot 2 projects with it and it's a snap. I just dumped it in the timeline and adjusted it in the curves and it looked great with little to no fooling around. Can't wait for it on the PCC4K!

Jack Fairley wrote:With BRAW the metadata is stored as a sidecar file that tells Resolve exactly how it was shot on the day, but you can override all of that as shown in screenshot.

Actually, the "as shot on the day" metadata is stored inside the original BRAW file itself. BMD cameras do not create sidecar files, only post apps like Resolve create sidecar files (or you could create them with any text editor using JSON format). If there is a sidecar file with the same name as the BRAW file, Resolve (and any app using the BRAW SDK) will use the sidecar file by default for display, though in Resolve, you can still force the clip to revert back to the original camera metadata at any time, if you wish.